Medical Billing Blog with Medical Billing & Coding Info & Articles
Our blog contains news and articles relating to numerous healthcare sectors including revenue cycle management, medical billing, medical coding, ICD, HIPAA, practice management functions and more.
ICD (International Classification of Diseases) is a universally accepted ranking system used by the WHO (World Health Organization) for categorizing physical and mental illnesses. ICD-11 is the eleventh edition of this categorization system. For about two decades, there have been no development or publishing of an update or revision to the ICD. The official presentation of ICD-11 at the World Health Assembly took place in May 2019 following its release on June 18, 2018. Member states are expected to adopt it as the official reporting system starting on January 1, 2022. However, it is still unknown when the U.S. Healthcare system will be ready to adopt it for use. ICD-11 …
By: Melissa C. - OMG, LLC. CEO on October 25, 2021
The importance of a clearing house in the medical world cannot be overemphasized. Also called Third Party Administrators (TPAs), clearing houses make healthcare payment seamless by serving as a link between the hospital, patient, and insurance provider. The role of the clearing house is to interact with the billing system of a hospital, clinic or physician’s office to evaluate medical claims. It sets up necessary documents for patients with claims before forwarding them to the insurer. Typically, a clearing house has strong ties with various insurance providers. Clearing houses aren’t restricted to just collecting documents and ensuring proper documentation for the claim/claims of patients, they are also saddled with the …
By: Kary C. - OMG, LLC. COO on October 19, 2021
Matt Fisher clears up some confusion related to HIPAA and individuals on Health IT Answers. “The spotlight continues to shine brightly on HIPAA, especially as an excuse, when it comes to professional athletes responding to questions around COVID vaccine status. The most recent string of erroneous responses started strongly over the summer when NFL training camps kicked into gear. As players returned and the league indicated its intentions for health safety, questions were often posed to players to find where they all stood. Before diving into a bit from my perspective, I encourage readers to check out a similar article by Charles Curtis on ForTheWin with USA Today where I …
By: Melissa's Mentions on October 14, 2021
Accounts receivable (A/R) management is an integral part of the medical billing process and it is crucial for the financial stability and success of healthcare facilities and medical practitioners. Accounts receivable is referred to as the sum of money owed to the medical practitioner or healthcare provider for the service provided, but not yet paid. The medical services that are rendered by physicians, nursing homes, therapists, laboratory technicians, and hospitals are continuously increasing. An efficient insurance model assists a medical practice in recovering overdue payments from insurance carriers easily and on time. This is when a diligent A/R employee, or department is important, they assist the healthcare provider in being …
By: Melissa C. - OMG, LLC. CEO on October 6, 2020
If you are a healthcare worker in any field, you are probably aware of the HITECH Act. This Act was the inception of the electronic medical record (EHR), and meaningful use. Meaningful use was the proposal from CMS and ONC. The idea was to have the electronic medical record have interoperable capabilities throughout the United States (cdc.gov 2019). We know now that is not in effect. The introduction of the HITECH Act was to demonstrate to the reader that the front line healthcare worker (Physician, Nurse, Physician Assistant, Certified Nurse Assistant, etc.), are the workers that are the most impacted by the use of the electronic medical record. If …
By: Michelle Bottone on October 1, 2020
Telemedicine has grown rapidly because it allows the remote delivery of healthcare services during the pandemic. Telemedicine tends to lower healthcare costs, expand the patient database, and offer flexible working conditions for physicians and health care providers. It reduces physical office hours and saves overhead costs, like payroll for hourly employees, utilities, and other various expenses associated with an office being open. Remote Patient Monitoring is a key component of Telemedicine. It allows the physician and the patient’s care team to get real-time data thereby enabling communication without an in-person appointment. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) introduced new Current Procedural Terminology codes for Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) …
By: Melissa C. - OMG, LLC. CEO on September 28, 2020
Medical coding and medical billing are two of the reimbursement systems within the healthcare organization. The professionals who perform these tasks are known as medical coders and medical billers, respectively. The work of medical coders and medical billers is to analyze medical treatments received by patients while at a healthcare facility to coordinate payments from insurance companies and patients. In this article, we will discuss the difference between medical coding and medical billing. However, it is important to have a brief understanding of what medical coding and medical billing entail. What is Medical Coding? Medical coding is a way of converting healthcare diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment into universal …
By: Kathryn E, CCS-P - Retired on September 15, 2020
Since Flu season is rapidly approaching, we decided to take a look at the medical codes that are utilized for billing of vaccine shots. First of all, what exactly is the Flu? Flu is short for Influenza, which is a contagious respiratory disease caused by the Influenza virus. Influenza virus infects the nose, throat, and in a rare condition the lungs. The symptoms can be mild to severe. The most common influenza symptoms include high fever, sore throat, headache, coughing, runny nose, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue (body weakness). This virus generally occurs during the winter months. Influenza is a serious health condition that can lead to pneumonia. …
By: Melissa C. - OMG, LLC. CEO on September 2, 2020
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic system has certainly been negatively affected. As covid-19 continues its exponential growth across the world, it has taken a financial hit on all businesses, including the health care systems. The Coronavirus outbreak affects Schools, Universities, Cinemas, Concert halls, Theaters, Pubs, Restaurant, Shopping malls and other small businesses. Many People have lost their jobs and shops have closed down as a result of this pandemic. Many people find themselves in isolation with their family or being completely alone. Many People are lonely, afraid and depressed. This novel Coronavirus has been a source of catastrophic social and economic crisis. People now make use …
By: Melissa C. - OMG, LLC. CEO on August 20, 2020
Since the outbreak of Coronavirus, the health care system has had to rethink how to deliver care and one of the most remarkable ways to care for people’s health is with the use of telemedicine. Telemedicine is known as the remote delivery of healthcare services. Telemedicine has been in existence for years now but, it is historically only used to reach patients in remote areas. However, with the rapid changes in technology in the last decades, telemedicine has transformed into complex integrated services used in hospitals, private physician offices, homes, and other healthcare facilities. Telemedicine was originally developed by health professionals as a way to treat patients living in rural …
By: Melissa C. - OMG, LLC. CEO on August 10, 2020
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